Hackamore bridle



Feb. 28, 1967 N. G. STAFFORD 3,306,005

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United States Patent ()fiice 3,306,005 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,005 HACKAMORE BRIDLE Noble G. Stafford, Larnesa, Tex., assignor to Max L. Meyers, Lamesa, Tex. Filed Oct. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 495,392 9 Claims. (Cl. 54-6) This invention relates to a novel and useful bridle for horses and more specifically to the type of bridle known as the hackamore bridle.

A hackamore bridle does not include a mouthbit for controlling the horse wearing the bridle. Instead, the hackamore bridle is designed to enable the rider of a horse to exert controlling pressure upon sensitive portions of the horses head such as across the top of the horses head in back of his ears, on the front of the nose of the horse, and under the chin of the horse. However, the hackamore bridle of the instant invention utilizes its curb loop portion thereof solely to assist in keeping the nose band portion of the bridle in place and not for the purpose of applying pressure under the horses chin. On the contrary, the curb loop portion of the bridle of the instant invention is formed as an integral portion of the rigid nose loop and therefore is unable to move toward the closed end of the nose loop. In this manner, it is assured that the sensitive lower portions of the nose of a horse wearing the hackamore bridle of the instant invention may not be clampingly secured between the nose loop portion and the curb loop portion of the bridle.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved hackamore bridle constructed in a manner whereby controlling pressures may be applied to the top of a horses head behind his ears and across the lower portion of the horses nose without also applying pressure to the underside of the horseschin.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hackamore bridle constructed in a manner whereby a given pull on the reins of the bridle will have the effect of applying varied forces to the top of the horses head and across the front of the horses nose depending upon the elevation at which the horse is holding his head.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a hackamore bridle that may be readily utilized to train a horse with only primary reins being required as opposed to some hackamore bridles which require both primary and secondary reins.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enurnerated herein is to provide a hackamore bridle in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the head of a horse shown wearing the hackamore bridle of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the hackamore bridle.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a horses head and the hackamore bridle of the instant invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 14. The bridle 14 includes an upstanding combined throat latch and head loop 16 comprising an elongated strap of flexible material such as leather whose opposite end portions are joined together in adjusted overlapped position by means of a buckle 18 carried by one end of the strap 16 and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 20 formed in the other end of the strap 16.

The bridle 14 also includes a rearwardly opening brow band 20 including opposite end portions looped about the opposite sides of the loop 16 as at 22 and 24. The free terminal ends of the brow band 20 are each secured to the adjacent end portions of the band 20 by means of suitable rivets 26 and 28. An inverted generally U-shaped crown piece 30 including a pair of depending opposite side leg portions 32 and 34 is also provided and the upper ends of the leg portions 32 and 34 are interconnected by means of an integral curved transverse bight portion 36. The leg portions 32 and 34 are longitudinally slidable through the sleeve portions 36 and 38 of the brow band 20 defined between each pair of rivets 26 and 28. The lower ends of the leg portions 32 and 34 include loops 40 and 42, respectively.

A substantially rigid combined nose band and curb loop generally referred to by the reference numeral 44 is also provided and includes a somewhat resilient padding 46 on its forward nose band defining portion and soft padding 48 on its curb loop defining rear portion.

A pair of levers 50 and 52 are provided and the levers 50 and 52 are pivotally secured to the opposite sides of the loop 44 intermediate its front and rear ends for rotation about axes extending transversely of the levers 50 and 52 and between the opposite sides of the loop 44. The levers 50 and 52 include apertured mounting ears 54 and 56 through which pivot fasteners 58 and 60, carried by the corresponding sides of the loop 44, are secured.

The lower and rear ends of the levers 50 and 52 include loops 62 and 64 to which reins may be secured and the upper ends of the'levers' 50 and 52 also include loops 66 and 68.. A lengthwise adjustable and flexible elongated tension transmitting member 70 is secured'betwe'en each pair of loops 40 and 66 and 42 and 68 and a second pair of lengthwise adjustable and flexible elongated tension transmitting members 72 are secured between the loops 66 and 68 and anchor loops 74 and 76 carried by the opposite sides of the loop 44 forwardly of the pivot fasteners or pivot pins 58 and 60.

As can best be seen from FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the bridle 14' is applied to the horses head 10 with the upper portion of the band or throat and latch loop 16 and the bight portion 36 extending across the top of the horses head 10 behind the ears 80 thereof. The brow band 20 of course crosses over in front of the horses head 10 above his eyes and the leg portions 32 and 34 as well as the tension transmitting members 70 extend downwardly along the corresponding side of the head 10. The combined nose band and curb loop 44 extends across the front of the nose of the horse and a spaced distance rearwardly of and above the chin of the head 10.

As rearward pressure is applied to the lower ends of the levers 50 and 52, the forward end of the combined nose band and curb loop 44 will be pulled rearwardly while the bight portion 36 of the crown piece 30 will be pulled downwardly. If the horses head is raised excessively high, the same amount of rearward pull on the lower ends of the levers 50 and 52 will exert a greater downward pull on the bight portion 36 and a reduced amount of rearward pull on the forward portion of the nose band and curb loop 44. Conversely, if the horses head 10 is tucked back toward his chest, a greater portion of the rearward pull on the lower ends of the levers 50 and 52 will be transferred to a rearward pull on the nose band and curb loop 44 with a lesser amount being transferred to a downward pull on the bight portion 36.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those site sides of said throat latch and head loop below its upper end, an inverted generally U-shaped crown piece including a pair of depending opposite side leg portions interconnected at their upper ends by means of a curved transverse bight portion adapted to pass over the top of thehead of a horse behind his ears, the lower ends of said leg portions being slidably guidingly restrained and engaged with the opposite end portions of said brow band for longitudinal reciprocation relative thereto, an at least substantially rigid closed combined nose band and curb loop, a pair of upstanding opposite side levers pivotally connected intermediate their upper and lower end portions to the opposite sides of said nose band and curb loop intermediate its front and rear end portions for rotation about axes extending transversely of said levers and between said opposite sides, the lower ends of said levers including means adapted to have rein ends secured thereto, and elongated tension transmitting means connecting the upper ends of said levers and the corresponding lower ends of said leg portions whereby tension on the reins applies downward pressure on the crown piece without pressure being applied to the chin area of the animal.

2. The combination of claim 1 including second elongated tension transmitting means interconnected between the upper ends of said levers and corresponding opposite sides of said nose band and curb loop at points spaced forwardly of said axes.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tension transmitting means are adjustable in their eifective lengths.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tension transmitting means comprise adjustable length straps.

5. The combination of claim 1 including second elongated tension transmitting means interconnected between the upper ends of said levers and corresponding opposite sides of said nose band and curb loop at points spaced forwardly of said axes, said second elongated tension transmitting means being adjustable in their effective lengths.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said second tension transmitting means comprise adjustable length straps.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least the front and rear ends of said nose band and curb loop are padded.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said combined throat latch and head loop is adjustable in effective length.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least the upper closed end of said crown piece is rigid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 734,004 7/1903 Stiegler 546 899,281 9/1908 Zeller 5413 1,734,156 11/1929 Clemens 5415 2,342,449 2/1944 Burgess 54-6 2,347,752 5/1944 Schmelz 54-15 X 2,349,375 5/1944 Ray 546 2,471,121 5/1949 Reed 546 2,597,736 5/1952 Jones 54-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,570 12/ 1903 Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Examiner. 

1. A HACKAMORE BRIDLE COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING COMBINED THROAT LATCH AND HEAD LOOP, A REARWARDLY OPENING BROW BAND SECURED AT ITS OPPOSITE END PORTIONS TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID THROAT LATCH AND HEAD LOOP BELOW ITS UPPER END, AN INVERTED GENERALLY U-SHAPED CROWN PIECE INCLUDING A PAIR OF DEPENDING OPPOSITE SIDE LEG PORTIONS INTERCONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS BY MEANS OF A CURVED TRANSVERSE BIGHT PORTION ADAPTED TO PASS OVER THE TOP OF THE HEAD OF A HORSE BEHIND HIS EARS, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEG PORTIONS BEING SLIDABLY GUIDINGLY RESTRAINED AND ENGAGED WITH THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID BROW BAND FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION RELATIVE THERETO, AN AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID CLOSED COMBINED NOSE BAND AND CURB LOOP, A PAIR OF UPSTANDING OPPOSITE SIDE LEVERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THEIR UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID NOSE BAND AND CURB LOOP INTERMEDIATE ITS FRONT AND REAR END PORTIONS FOR ROTATION ABOUT AXES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID LEVERS AND 